Was going to put this under the “best” thread, but…
So I have a pair of Leica 10x42 BNs that I use for almost everything: birds, travel, and even stargazing (not ideal). But now Mrs. TGR has taken a liking to them…
So what are the opinions on a decent pair of binoculars? The main use will be for birdwatching and travel, so they can’t be heavy. I would get another pair of Leicas, except I got these pre-owned 10+ years ago for £400.
Waterproof and fairly robust would be an advantage, as would close focus abilities for wildlife/butterflies, etc.
Cost is less of an issue, as I see these as a final purchase, but long-term care and maintenance would be important. So I would need a brand that can support me going forward.
I personally use Opticron, well made, good optics and perform as good as some costing much, much, more.
They have a service department in the U.K…….never needed to use.
I owned for a few years Swarovski NL Pure 8x42. They were great, but I sold them to recoup some money.
I then bought Nikon Monarch M7 8x42. They are one seventh the price of the Swarovskis, but 90% as good. The Nikon is a very good binocular at a great price.
I have a more compact 8x32 Nikon EDG, the optics of which appear excellent to me. Perhaps not sufficiently powerful for your needs but perhaps might be nice to have a mix with one pair more compact for carrying around on walks.
An optics store like The Birders Store in Worcester or Cley Spy in Cley will let you look through binoculars. I have Kite Lynx 8x30 which are ideal for travel. My heavy Swarovski 8x42 and 10x42 NL are used in the early morning and evening when birding from a hide. Zeiss Terra are worth a look too. I have Opticron too, after 10 years they are rather loose, but they are ok.
Good mid-priced binos for birding is a hot topic. My wife has expensive Leicas which with Zeiss and Swarovski were more than I wanted to spend. So I tried out a bunch of the next tier binos and settled on Vortex Vipers. These have served me well for birding and general use. The Leicas are better but the Vortex are probably 80% as good at 25% of the price here in Canada.
I own a pair of Leica Trinovid 8x42 BN. Bought them for £500 around twenty years ago. They were less than 1 year old
I’ve thought about replacing or supplementing them with a pair of 8x32 to reduce the weight.
Considered a pair of ZEISS Conquest HD 8x32 based on reviews. But never tried them.
I think at the end of the day, you will need to get pairs in your hands and see how they handle and feel.
And then assess the optical quality.
I viewed and still view my Leicas as for life and have been fault free.
Just a treasured possession after all these years.
Wonderful binoculars. After trying some owned by a friend, I fell in love and bought an older pair a few years back. They are 8x40Bs and feel and view just spot on. They get used a fair bit and I’m not too precious about them, but they have held up really well.
My partner tried them and she also fell in love with them, so now she has a pair as well!
Over the years we had several Leica binoculars in use. Started with a Trinovid 10x25 BCA (travel) and Duovid 8-12/42 (walking/nature). Then (2012) we moved to a Ultravid 10x25 and a Ultravid HD 10x42. Last year we sold both Ultravids and bought a Ultravid HD Plus 8x32 and a Noctivid 10x42.
As with Naim each upgrade was a step up.
If you are looking for a “light” weight binocular with a good viewing quality I would suggest the 8x32 HD Plus. It is a relative small binocular. Close focusing distance: 2 meter and weight 565 gram. Downside is if you have great hands it would be better to look at a 42mm binocular in the same range. Perhaps have a look at a Noctivid.
We compared Leica with several Swarowski binoculars and we found that Leica had more contrast, brilliance and colour.
I have a pair of Leica Trinivid 10×25 BCA. Pocket size, though I keep them on in a small soft belt case. Lightweight but robust, and with extremely good sealed clear and bright optics (with oddly exactly the same field of view as the large & heavy 10×50 binos I had prior to them!). They’ve travelled far and wide with me for what must be about 30 years, faultlessly: To all intents and purposes other than the odd very minor cosmetic mark they are as good as new today. When I originally bought I was hesitant because of the cost, but reflecting on it they were worth every penny.
One that often gets overlooked, and they are a bit quirky, is the Swarovski Habicht 8x30. Light, very comfortable in the hand and excellent bright optics. Downsides: focuser can be stiff (because, unusually for a porro, they are waterproof) but the focusser does not need much moving and they do not suit some glasses wearers. Much cheaper than say the Swarovski NL series although not cheap.
Also worth thinking about a pocket binocular (some say they are not suitable for birding, I would disagree). Light & pocketable is a great advantage as well at the expense of low light performance. Something like the Leica Ultravid 8x20 or Swarovski Curio 7x21. A bit larger would be the Zeiss 10x25.
My current favourite two are the NL 12x42 (too big and heavy for what you want I would think) and Curio 7x21. The latter is quite exceptional in my view.
But do try before you buy. How they feel is so important.
Have a look at the ZEISS SFL range. Very light indeed and excellent optics.
Im considering changing my Swarovski EL 10 x42 for some as the difference in weight is considerable on my aging neck after a day out.
As an ex optics advisor with the RSPB I would say go to see and try before you buy. Are you near any of the InFocus shops .
You DO really need to try them for handling and not just buy from spec.
Sea water and a wet environment. I’d really get another pair of Leica or top flight Zeiss or Swarovski, because waterproofing and lens coating is important. But you should go to a dealer and compare them. There are some sales and many dealers sell quality second hand.
I will definitely try to find a specialty shop and handle them.
My current Leica BNs are my benchmark. My only criticism of them is the minor purple fringing at the extreme edges.
I did take a look on eBay for a second pair of what I already have. However, the prices are higher than what I paid 15 years ago or so when I bought the BNs.
